Hoplitis (Tkalcua) paralias ( Mavromoustakis 1954 )

Müller, Andreas & Mauss, Volker, 2016, Palaearctic Hoplitis bees of the subgenera Formicapis and Tkalcua (Megachilidae, Osmiini): biology, taxonomy and key to species, Zootaxa 4127 (1), pp. 105-120 : 113-114

Hoplitis (Tkalcua) paralias ( Mavromoustakis 1954)

Osmia paralias Mavromoustakis 1954: 266 . Type material: Holotype ♀, “Bat Yam, 16.4.1946 ” ( Israel), Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, Nicosia.

Literature records. ISRAEL AND PALESTINE: Bat Yam, 15.4.– 5.5.1946 ( Mavromoustakis, 1954).

New records. MOROCCO: 20km W Boudnib, 9.4.1995 (leg. M. Halada); 10km N Erfoud, 10.4.1995 (leg. M. Halada); 10km N Mhamid, 21.– 22.4.1995 (leg. M. Halada); Tagounite, 60km S Zagora, 23.4.1995 (leg. M. Halada); 5km S Zagora, 24.– 25.4.1995 (leg. M. Halada); Oued Draa, 34km SE Zagora, 16.3.1997 (leg. M. Hauser). TUNISIA: 15km W Nefta, 22.3.2001 (leg. C. Schmid-Egger). ISRAEL AND PALESTINE, Negev: 17km NNW Elat, 1.3.1997 (leg. J.G. Rozen & M.S. Engel); 5km E Zihor Jct., 3.3.1997 (leg. J.G. Rozen & M.S. Engel). JORDAN: Fidan, 125km N Aqaba, 6.4.1989 (leg. J. Gusenleitner); Wadi Rum, 10.4.1989 (leg. J. Gusenleitner); 70km NE Aqaba, 14.4.1989 (leg. J. Gusenleitner).

Distribution. From Morocco to Tunisia along the northern border of the Sahara Desert and from the Negev Desert to central Israel; the species is expected to occur also in Libya and Egypt.

Pollen hosts. Polylectic. Pollen sources known so far include Genisteae (Fabaceae) , Zygophyllaceae and Brassicaceae (based on 5 pollen loads from 3 different localities in Israel and Jordan). Flower record: Retama raetam (label record).

Nesting biology. Unknown.